The Cowboy way is never easy; it comes with trials and tribulations, and Dak Prescott has had these two things in spades.
Being the face of the world’s most recognized and valuable franchise could not be handled by many, but Dak Prescott has, without any transgressions.
No matter what this man accomplishes in his career, he will always be the scapegoat because he is the quarterback of America’s Team.
The limelight never seems too big for Prescott, but he gets slack for his playoff record and lack of Super Bowls. How does he match up in all the important categories for a quarterback compared to other superstar quarterbacks?
Let’s compare Dak Prescott’s career with that of some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL since 2016 and see if the bad press is warranted.
The list of quarterbacks chosen will be from the top five active quarterbacks in win totals since 2016.
Dak Prescott vs. Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Mahomes is the winningest quarterback in the NFL since he was drafted in 2017, with 89 wins and 23 losses in the regular season.
He is also 12-3 in the playoffs and has three Super Bowls.
Since 2016, Dak Prescott has had 76 wins and 46 losses. His playoff record is 2–5, and he has not been to the Super Bowl.
In his eight seasons, Mahomes has 5,530 dropbacks and a completion percentage of 66.8%. He has thrown for 38,168 yards, 291 touchdowns, and 84 interceptions.
In his nine seasons, Prescott has 4,925 dropbacks and a completion percentage of 66.7%. He has thrown for 33,398 yards, 227 touchdowns, and 89 interceptions.
Fairly even statistically, remember that Mahomes has a whole season on Prescott due to season-ending injuries to the Cowboys quarterback.
The only area in which Prescott does not compare favorably to Mahomes is the most important: playoff wins and Super Bowls.
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Dak Prescott vs. Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson is dynamic, but how does Dak Prescott compare to the man from Baltimore?
Rushing is Jackson’s superpower. He has 1,108 rushing attempts, 6,813 rushing yards, 6.1 yards per carry, 36 touchdowns, and 72 fumbles.
Prescott is not a big-time runner. He has 452 rushing attempts, 2,100 rushing yards, 4.6 yards per carry, 33 touchdowns, and 63 fumbles.
The difference here is that Jackson has only 320 scrambles, plays not designed to be runs, or 28% of his attempts, compared to Prescott’s 204, or 45%.
Jackson is a running back in a quarterback’s body.
Now the rushing is out of the way, let’s look at passing.
Lamar Jackson entered the league in 2018, so we will start there for both players.
Since 2018, Lamar Jackson has had 3,377 dropbacks and a completion percentage of 64.5%. He has thrown for 21,812 yards, 176 touchdowns, and 56 interceptions.
Since 2018, Dak Prescott has had 3,817 dropbacks and a completion percentage of 67.1%. He has thrown for 26,105 yards, 179 touchdowns, and 71 interceptions.
Dak takes the passing in this comparison, but what do wins and losses look like between the two?
Lamar Jackson is 74-29 in his career during the regular season, with a winning percentage of 71.8%. He is 3-5 in the playoffs, with no Super Bowl appearances.
From 2018 to now, Dak Prescott has been 54-36, with a winning percentage of 60%. Dak Prescott is 2-5 with no Super Bowl appearances.
If Dak Prescott’s first two years are calculated, he has a 76-46 regular-season record.
The only area Lamar Jackson is winning is rushing.
Both are terrible in the playoffs.
Dak Prescott vs. Josh Allen
Josh Allen is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and not many people would argue with that statement.
However, Josh Allen and Dak Prescott are very similar in statistics and winning.
Since 2018, Josh Allen has had 4,671 dropbacks and a completion percentage of 63.6%. He has thrown for 29,794 yards, 220 touchdowns, and 88 interceptions.
Since 2018, Dak Prescott has had 3,817 dropbacks and a completion percentage of 67.1%. He has thrown for 26,105 yards, 179 touchdowns, and 71 interceptions.
Josh Allen’s regular-season wins and losses are 76-35. He has a playoff win/loss record of 7-6 with no Super Bowl wins.
Dak Prescott has been 54-36 since 2018, and 76-46, with all seasons included.
Dak Prescott matches up pretty well to Josh Allen for comparison’s sake.
For as much grief as Dak Prescott takes as the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, he matches up well with three of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Many fans, pundits, and media talking heads talk about Dak not being a top-5 quarterback in this league. The only things that separate the others, not including Lamar Jackson, are playoff wins and Super Bowls.
Yes, playoff wins and Super Bowls matter, but when talking about Dak Prescott, his entire body of work needs to be considered.
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Will his entire body of work be taken into account? No, no, it will not. He will get the Tony Romo treatment, go down in the Cowboys’ history books, and be forgotten.
If Dak Prescott does not win a Super Bowl, he will be forgotten by the NFL.
And that’s the Cowboy way.